Power supply method to memory card and printing apparatus

A power supply method for a memory card that has been inserted into a printing apparatus that can receive a plurality of types of memory cards, comprising:

• detecting that one type of the memory card out of a plurality of the types of memory cards has been inserted into a card slot;
• judging whether or not there has been detected, from when the insertion of the memory card has been detected and within passing of a predetermined time, an insertion of a different type of memory card from the type of the memory card that has already been detected;
• specifying the type of the memory card that has been inserted, based on a result of the judgment;
• and
• supplying electric power to the specified type of memory card, wherein the printing apparatus includes a plurality of pairs of memory detection terminals, corresponding to the types of the memory cards, that are respectively to be connected by a card-side terminal provided to the memory card that has been inserted,
• wherein the type of the memory card that has been inserted is detected by a plurality of the pairs of the memory detection terminals being selectively connected by the card-side terminal,
• wherein one memory detection terminal of the pair of the memory detection terminals is applied with a bias voltage, and the other memory detection terminal is connected to GND,
• wherein in the case where, within passing of the predetermined time, two or more pairs of the memory detection terminals out of a plurality of the pairs of the memory detection terminals are detected as being connected, the type of the memory card corresponding to the pair of the memory detection terminals that is located at an inner side, in an insertion direction of the memory card, out of the pairs of the memory detection terminals that have been detected as being connected, is specified.

A printing apparatus, comprising:

• a card slot into which a plurality of types of memory cards can be inserted;
• a memory detection terminal for detecting that the memory card has been inserted into the card slot, the memory detection terminal corresponding to the type of the memory card;
• a power supply terminal for supplying power to the memory card, the power supply terminal corresponding to the type of the memory card;
• a controller for judging whether or not there has been detected, from the time that an insertion of the memory card has been detected by an output of the memory detection terminal and within passing of a predetermined time, an insertion of a different type of memory card from the type of the memory card that has already been detected, specifying the type of the memory card that has been inserted based on a result of the judgment, and supplying electric power to the specified type of the memory card;
• and
• a printing section that can print on a medium, based on information of the memory card.